Leylah Attar’s MISTS OF THE SERENGETI is here!
Check out this standalone contemporary romance/women’s fiction, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Once in Africa, I kissed a king…

“And just like that, in an old red barn at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, I discovered the elusive magic I had only ever glimpsed between the pages of great love stories. It fluttered around me like a newborn butterfly and settled in a corner of my heart. I held my breath, afraid to exhale for fear it would slip out, never to be found again.”

When a bomb explodes in a mall in East Africa, its aftershocks send two strangers on a collision course that neither one sees coming.

Jack Warden, a divorced coffee farmer in Tanzania, loses his only daughter. An ocean away, in the English countryside, Rodel Emerson loses her only sibling.

Two ordinary people, bound by a tragic afternoon, set out to achieve the extraordinary, as they make three stops to rescue three children across the vast plains of the Serengeti—children who are worth more dead than alive.

But even if they beat the odds, another challenge looms at the end of the line. Can they survive yet another loss—this time of a love that’s bound to slip through their fingers, like the mists that dissipate in the light of the sun?

“Sometimes you come across a rainbow story—one that spans your heart. You might not be able to grasp it or hold on to it, but you can never be sorry for the color and magic it brought.”

A blend of romance and women’s fiction, Mists of The Serengeti is inspired by true events and contains emotional triggers, including the death of a child. Not recommended for sensitive readers. Standalone, contemporary fiction.

MICHELLE: I knew from the second I started reading the prologue that I would fall in love with this book. By the end of the prologue- I just knew it would wreck me.

PEPPER: Yeah, I was done after the first few pages. But I knew I would be – this is Leylah Attar, people. She is an automatic must read and WILL love for us!

MICHELLE: So if you’re a fan of Leylah’s books – this one might seem lighter in some ways. A lot of the major conflict outside of the two main characters – Jack and Rodel – happens and concludes around 70-80%. The rest of the story is very much about these two souls finding their way to one another.

PEPPER: Agreed, however these two needed that extra time. Everything they experienced in regard to even meeting was so tragic – I feel like it had a perfect flow.

MICHELLE: It really did, but I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s what Leylah does to me. She makes me all hyper and crazy because I’m SO IN LOVE WITH HER WRITING.

PEPPER: I know, this review is going to be all over the place. Her writing is like nothing we experience in other romance novels. It’s so unconventional and non-formulaic, does that make sense?

MICHELLE: Yes, it totally does – Lovers. This story just blew me away. It was just so different and unique and beautiful. There’s this wonderful cast of characters but the main focus is Jack and Rodel. Two broken people trying to fix what hurts on a journey together. Even though their paths to healing are very different- they come to them with each other and create a bond that is just – perfect.

PEPPER: I loved going through their journey together. I often think – I can’t find a man until I get this and this and this figured out. And I don’t want anyone unless they have their shit figured out. But this book does such an amazing job at showing us that life is always going to be full of baggage and issues. And it can be beautifully worked on with someone else. It’s hard as hell and heart wrenching, but it can work. I loved this lesson so much.

MICHELLE: Exactly! Is anyone ever really “perfect”? Not really, however these two main characters come close. Rodel often compares Jack to her book boyfriends. Well. Jack blows them all out of the water. And honestly – Rodel is totally kick ass. I mean she moved to Tanzania basically in search of answers and closure and finds so much more.

PEPPER: Jack and Rodel. Rodel and Jack. OMG. I loved both of these two so much it hurts. I can’t stop thinking about them…

MICHELLE: I can’t stop thinking this entire thing. This book will actually transport you to the Mists of the Serengeti. I know this story has personal roots for Leylah but I’m still amazed and how she manages to actually create a picture so vivid that you feel like you’re there.

PEPPER: It’s unreal. I felt like I was there from the first sentence. She’s a master at pulling you into a place you’ve never been and making you feel like you are right there. It’s crazy how she does it, the whole time you are reading you are like:

MICHELLE: Exactly! So, basically with all our babbling, we LOVED this book. With a supporting cast unlike any other (seriously I could read an entire book about Goma) and main characters that will make a home in your heart- this book is a 2017 must read.

PEPPER: It’s actually a January 31, 2017 (as in TODAY) must read!!!

MICHELLE: Yep! Oh. And if you survive the Epilogue – call me. I’m still emotional about it.

Leylah Attar writes stories about love – shaken, stirred, and served with a twist.Sometimes she disappears into the black hole of the internet, but can usually be enticed out with chocolate. Leylah is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance/women’s fiction.

College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.

But the game just got a whole lot more complicated

Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.

MICHELLE: Can that be our whole review? Because I feel like that’s all the people need to know!!!

PEPPER: It seriously is. You don’t need anything else from this book but John Tucker.

MICHELLE: Tucker is perfect. I mean PERFECT. He’s all big and alpha when he needs to be but he’s just this sweet, southern boy at heart who wants real love and will do whatever it takes to have it. Gah! Just thinking about makes me swoon.

PEPPER: I know. It’s too much. The way he was with his mom?!? The way he was with his friends?!? The way he was with Sabrina (who I wanted to drop kick throughout most of this book)?!?

MICHELLE: AND HE HAS A BEARD.

PEPPER: So is that the end? Of the review?

MICHELLE: Lol, no – so for those of you who want actual substance- THE GOAL is Tucker and Sabrina’s book. In THE SCORE – we saw hints of this relationship but we knew nothing really. Timeline wise- if you have read THE SCORE- there are events at Briar that overlap. I have to say I loved how this overlaps with Dean’s book. It’s like getting this behind the scenes glimpse.

PEPPER: And, for those of you who didn’t read THE SCORE – like me – you won’t feel lost at all. However, you sure as shit are going to want to go back and read THE SCORE because you will want to know everything about Dean and Allie.

MICHELLE: Their book is so good. But anyway – so up until recently- we haven’t been taught to love Sabrina. She’s a tough cookie. What we find out here is that she is dealing with a truly shit life and that she is just trying to make it out of her hell hole existence. She’s smart and driven- and has little time for relationships.

PEPPER: I really had a hard time with Sabrina. Like, I did feel bad for her. What in the actual fuck is her home situation?
Does that shit happen in real life? So, for that, I understood why she was all about herself and succeeding. However, it seemed to be at Tucker’s expense – and for me that was NOT ok. Because, again, John. Tucker. Is. Everything.

MICHELLE: Right, and when Tucker comes barreling into her life with full force – it definitely knocks her off her feet.

PEPPER: I think you need a handbook for how to handle the perfection of this man, TBH, and in Sabrina’s defense, she was probably like:
because it seemed she didn’t feel worthy of his love.

MICHELLE: As the synopsis will tell you – a life altering event links Tucker and Sabrina. As they navigate though that- at least in my opinion- you are going to fall head over heels in love with John “Tuck” Tucker. In. Love.

PEPPER: If you haven’t already fallen in love with him by our asshole gushing!!

MICHELLE: True! And, Sabrina might drive you nuts at times- or a lot- but you will kind of get her for the most part. And maybe even come around to being on her team!

PEPPER: I mean you have to “get” her, because our lover John Tucker wants her and no one else, so you kind of have to be team Sabrina…

MICHELLE: Again, you cannot go wrong with this book. And this series is one of the best out there so make sure you get into it today!

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

A RITA-award nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

MICHELLE: When you, my beloved, and I are both reading it and we have to text each other our feels.

PEPPER: I know right?! This book was definitely one of them! OMG. I loved this book so much it hurts – I’m still thinking about it!!

MICHELLE: So Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have done it again. First we had COCKY BASTARD which was great and then we had STUCK UP SUIT which was an All Romance Review top read. And now we have PLAYBOY PILOT. And life is good again. If you are in a reading rut- this is the book for you.

PEPPER: I agree 100%. In fact, I’ve been in a reading rut and this pulled me right out. More specifically Captain Carter Clynes pulled me out!

MICHELLE: OMG, I. Know. So, this book was just so fun and interesting all the way through. It could be qualified as insta-love but the way it’s written really is more just this notion of taking a chance in life and I love that.

PEPPER: Oh this was for sure instant love. But the characters both addressed that several times. Like they knew it was as crazy as we did. I am obsessed with the entire concept of this book. I loved every second of it. I honestly believe that that kind of BAM! love can happen – either that or I just want it to be real so bad that I’m easily convinced. I also believe in fate and how worlds collide on purpose, so this story was perfect for me!

MICHELLE: I know it’s so magical really. So, back to Carter – ViPen are so so good at writing men that I want inside of me. And, Carter is no exception. He’s like this perfect blend of adventurer and guy that would watch Golden Girls with you on a Friday night. And yes- he’s a playboy but I love that as he grows and matures through the story that he actually has real regret over how he handled past hurts. He’s probably one of the most well balanced heroes I have ever read. He’s cocky but has some real insecurities beneath that, he’s honest, he’s funny, he’s sexy, he’s sweet, he’s genuinely kind. I mean he’s perfect. Really.

PEPPER: P E R F E C T
I literally have no other words. Except – he’s in my top book boyfriends of all time probably. And this doesn’t happen often.

MICHELLE: And then there’s Kendall. Now to be clear- I liked her. For a second, I thought she was a whiny 25 year old but she turned out to have a tough choice to make and I loved her sense of adventure and willingness to go outside her comfort zone. But unlike most romances- Kendall is the one that fucks things up- at least in my opinion. And it made me so mad at her CAUSE YOU HAD CARTER YOU CRAZY WOMAN!!!!

PEPPER: I agree, she did fuck it up. However, someone needed to be the bad guy. That major fuck up NEEDED to happen, in my opinion, for these guys to find their HEA. They both grew from it and they both had no question what they wanted after it.

MICHELLE: Right, I was just going to say that she also learns a lot along the way and I like that we get to watch her grow up.

PEPPER: Have I told you lately how much I loved this book?

MICHELLE: I know, lover, me too. It was such an easy read because every time I would say- I’ll read one more chapter- I would read 4 more. I finished it in one night because I just loved it.

PEPPER: Samsies – well two nights, but you know how slow I am. But in any case – you will not be able to put this book down. Get it. Love it. And start to want to live this instant connection of love that we all know and hope is out there!

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night